The Waddington Museum
Preserving Waddington’s Rich History and It’s Historical Collections
Today, the Museum is temporarily housed downstairs in the old Town Hall at 38 Main Street in Waddington.
To visit the Museum, please call 315-388-3041 or email Historian Kathy Putney at waddhistorian@gmail.com.
Yesterday… Today… Tomorrow...
In 2021, the Waddington Village and Town Boards along with the Waddington Museum Board and the Historian/ Museum Director made a decision to combine the contents of the privately owned Moore Museum on Main Street and the current Town Museum. That task was accomplished during 2022 and both collections are now housed in the lower level of the old Waddington Town Hall at 38 Main Street. The Moore Museum building has been sold and is being converted back to a private residence.
In May 2022, St. Paul's Episcopal Church property was deconsecrated by the Albany Diocese and acquired by the Village of Waddington. In addition to holding the title of “oldest church building north of the Mohawk Valley”, this church holds a special place in the earliest days of Waddington as it was built with funds secured by one of our founding families, the Ogdens. Future plans for the church include restoration and maintenance projects that will allow it to be used for a variety of public and private venues.
The property also includes a Manse that formerly housed the minister and family and has deteriorated beyond repair. Plans are to raze the condemned building in the spring of 2023 to make way for a new Waddington Museum that will stand in its place next to St. Paul’s Church on the corner of Fenton Street and Lincoln Avenue. The Historian, along with members of the Museum Board, has partnered with Clarkson University’s Engineering Department and a group of current students. As a classroom project, they are developing a possible design for the new facility. The acquired property also included a small rectory home at 34 Fenton Street. It was sold and the money earned from the sale of this and the previously mentioned Moore Museum, will be added to the new museum reserve fund and put toward construction costs.
The interest and enthusiasm to preserve Waddington’s rich history have been enhanced by the formation of the WHA (Waddington Historical Association), making this an exciting time to recognize and share our community’s rich history. The prospect of a new Museum to house and display Waddington’s historical collections is timely as the community has never had an appropriate public place to allow generations of all ages the opportunity to take a walk through history.
We have a start on funds needed for the new Museum but more will be needed to make it a reality. Donations can be made out to the “Village of Waddington” and dropped off or mailed to:
46B Maple Street, Waddington, NY 13694.
Please write: “Museum Building Fund” in the check memo.
Waddington Historian - Kathy Putney
I am proud of my third-generation roots in Waddington, and the fact that my children are the fourth. I became interested in the history of our small town and village at a young age. As I was growing up, I loved listening to all the stories the older generation would share about the way things used to be. I was raised by loving, caring parents who were always involved in the community and did their part to keep Waddington the great small town it’s always been.
I understand the importance of sharing Waddington’s rich history with future generations, and I look forward to helping facilitate the construction of a new museum and the preservation of older buildings in town.
